Thursday, June 07, 2007

The "Ultra-Left" and the Boycott of Israel -- What Are the Grounds?

Precisely on the issue of the British university boycott do we need to go more deeply into what "left" means today. If I had time, I could compile a book of quotes from "leftists" about Israel that echo what Judeophobic "rightists" said about Jews in the 1920s and 1930s. Think about Father Coughlin of the 1930s who used to rail against Jewish bankers, etc., although Coughlin himself met with some international bankers who were not Jews [according to a pamphlet on Coughlin written by A B Magil & published by the American CP]. The Nazis too used to portray Jews as capitalist bloodsuckers. They also used to depict Jews as bolshevik subversives.

"When I joined News Line [the WRP daily] at its launch in 1976, it was no secret that our leader, Gerry Healy, was soliciting funds from the Middle East, but we didn’t realise how far this would go. Under the guise of supporting the Arab peoples against imperialism and Zionism, Healy insisted on slavishly following the line of Arab regimes and leaders - not always easy when they were competing with each other to betray their peoples and pretended cause!"To my shame, I accepted a report that the Ba’athist regime was conceding autonomy to the Kurds, but I was shocked when Healy denied the Kurds were a nation entitled to rights . . . Then in November 1977 I made the mistake of ‘prematurely’ criticising the Egyptian leader, Anwar Sadat. . .

It seems that the SWP is also connected with the repulsive George Galloway. What is more important is that the SWP argues in favor of struggling against Israel on the grounds that Israel allegedly represents international finance capital, Western imperialism, etc. Yet, today, Arab rulers and individual capitalists hold a quite generous share of capital in the world. Think of the sums brought in every year for Arab oil, especially since the price went up. Think of the Arab-owned corporation stock in Western countries, the real estate holdings in the West, the return on capital to Arab stockholders from holdings in the West, etc. Think of the huge luxury shopping center in Dubai and the artificial real estate being built in the Persian Gulf. All this is reported on the worldwide cable news channels. Where did that money come from? The late Rafiq Hariri was a billionaire [from construction projects in Saudi Arabia] and knew how to buy friends in the West, such as Chirac. Otherwise, would anyone important in the West have cared about his murder?

What is less known and less discussed are his views of Israel and Jews. Hariri had deep Judeophobic prejudices, including belief in Jewish conspiracy theories. He also used his capital to help publish an expensive coffee table book in two volumes supporting Arab/Muslim control of Jerusalem. See link. One of Hariri's partners in this publishing enterprise was none other than the Prince of Wales. This fact alone should be enough to vitiate the pro-Arab enthusiasm of the Brit SWP. Here the Arabs possess huge amounts of capital, influence Western Govts [including the USA], hobnob with leading Westerners [Chirac, Prince Charles, Lord Norfolk, jiminy cricket (ex-prez of US), etc], supply funds to Western politicians [jimmy carter, etc.], finance distorted Middle Eastern studies in the USA and elsewhere, etc. Yet, Israel is depicted as a stronghold of Western capitalism. Part of the problem is that the Bolsheviks took a pro-Muslim stance from nearly the very beginning of their rule in the former Russian Empire. Healy and Galloway and their cohorts are merely following in that tradition.

When I say that anti-Zionism or Israelophobia is the anti-imperialism of fools, I am being too kind & generous to such as the British SWP. These are either vicious, conscious liars or hate-ridden Judeophobic fanatics. Bear in mind that Lenin's definition of imperialism in Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism was that imperialism is essentially finance capitalism, the "highest stage of capitalism." Can we see the Kuwaiti sheiks and the Saudi princes as imperialists by Lenin's definition? Do these super-rich Arabs finance Hamas and Fatah and other anti-Israel terrorist gangs, or do they not? Are we allowed to ask the UK SWP to justify their position on the grounds of these facts and of Lenin's definition of imperialism?? If they cannot supply a reasonable justification in terms of their own supposed Leninist ideology, then it is quite clear that they are Judeophobes, in their vocabulary --antisemites. In my terms, they have become Nazis.- - - - - - - -Coming: more on Jews in Jerusalem & Hebron & Land of Israel, peace follies, propaganda, James Baker & US policy towards Israel, etc.

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The world swims in lies. Who doesn't know that? Even the dupes are told there are lies about. We aim to dispel the fog of lies, especially about Israel, like our prophets of old and our poets like Yehudah haLevi.
We feature historic sources, documents, excerpts from the classics, etc.
How shall I render my vows and my bonds, While yet
Zion lieth beneath the fetter of Edom, and I in Arab chains?
The false prophets cry Peace, and there is no peace.
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About Me

צלום דבורה בת יהודה לייב ז''ל
Dvoyreh bas Yehudah Leyb, Eliyahu's mother. My own photo will have to await more peaceful times.
I have been an observer of
the human comedy, and the human tragedy for many years.